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Wednesday, April 23, 2008

My biggest enemy is "being bored", and to prevent that I start all kinds of projects. Last week and the following weekend was just like that. I've had it in my mind for a while but it wasn't until last week that I started the amphibian landingcraft, that goes under the name of "Platipus" (reactions on the name is known to me, and it's not a misspelling but a synonym to; platypus). My greatest inspiration when it comes to this one is, as usual, The Discovery Channel. This build is kind of "useless", at least in an "in-game point of view". Landingcrafts seems to be reserved for planetary-landings and not so much in the "take the beach"-point of view. So I thought; why not at least build one for my Imperial Guard Killteam.

"The Platipus Landingcraft" - before the camo was applied.
The overall size of the frame and the turret is a straight rippoff from the Chimera-transport. So it's not a big build. I might even get around to build a captain for this transport. So after this build I jumped on the chance of building something bigger. Late fri... no early saturday morning I started on my other scratchbuilding challange; The Chaos Land Raider.

I'll only show it from the "good-side" right now... And there's still a lot of work to be done here. There are multiple gaps in the armor that needs GS-work and the hull itself needs more details. The HeavyBolters need a lot of work and the LasCannons needs a lot more details - so far it's just the basics done on them. The next challange that this project presents is the painting. The fact that the primary material that I used is cardboard and (heavy duty) plastics makes me wonder if the paint is going to warp the whole of it. But it's got a stable core of plastic so if I used enough glue, the cardboard might just stay in place... I also added some nifty little details, like the magnet on the roof of the hull. This opens up for the possibility to have interchanging turrets on top of it. Right now I'm planning on adding a turret with a heavy-duty cannon and a missilerack that puts a Whirlwind-tank to shame. Some options that might be usefull in a game on a "Apocalyptic-level". But right now there is still a lot of work to be done. Later next week might be a good time for the next update on this project, I might even slap on some paint until then.

Monday, April 14, 2008

Well, I’m no avid reader of the different novels that appears on the market from time to time. I started to pitch some ideas I had about building a Ordo Xenos warband, just for show (or maybe as a KillTeam-thing), and suddenly a whole lot of ideas started to trickle in. Most of them came from people that had read the books about Inquisitor Ravenor (by Dan Abnett). Well, he’s from the Ordo Xenos so maybe it wasn’t so strange that it came up in the discussions, so to speak. But there seems to be some discussion on different forums about the usage of aliens and subhumans inside the Ordo Xenos itself. As GW hasn’t released any Codex for an Ordo Xenos army, the interpretation on the subject is a bit open. Ok, sure, the Xenos all have to be eradicated from the Imperium of Man, but what’s to say that you can’t use the aliens own knowledge to fight the aliens? I mean the Radicals of the Ordo Maleus employ Daemon Hosts in their battle against the forces of the Warp – so why is there such a fuss when you add some Xenos to an Inquisitors’ retinue? I say “Know Thy Enemy” - and know them well!

I call my newest project “an interpretation” or “my take on the Ordo Xenos”. And it’s a “Radical” interpretation to say the least. My plan is to update this project as it goes along, but here are the basics and the progress so far.

First of we have the Inquisitor himself, right now he is a nameless on that goes under the name of "XX". Dressed in power armor and equipped with all the gizmos he will ever need to extract useful “things” (like information) and liquids from the aliens he encounter.

Next we have the mercenary Ork, a “Blood Axe”-merc selling his services to the Inquisitor. And yes it is needed to keep him on a leash.

Next up is one of the “enigmatic and nocturnal” Hrud. All my research into this one has yielded very little result, so this one is a pure interpretation of mine, based on the old picture in the XX editon rulebook.

The latest addition to xx:s retinue is this Imperial Guard Veteran of the Afriel Strain:

This one is still in the first stage of painting. And as this project is not "by the book" I see no problem in adding him to the retinue. (If you follow the rules you will see that you cannot ally Arfriel Strain Imperial Guards with the different Ordos, but my Inquisitor is way past such details).

The coming of the Necromunda-game really launched me back into the hobby head on, a couple of years ago. Me and some friends had grand plans (don’t we ever!). The plan was this great Underhive-campaign. And we had all the gangs in the Hive represented. Including the Scavvies and the Redemptionists. I think we played a couple of games and then we moved on to other games, as usual. But meanwhile I had collected a sizeable Van Saar force. Since then there has been almost one game played each year (or any other year, maybe). Just writing about it, makes me want to break out the old gangs and fight it out one more time! Sad to say I never jumped on the BloodBowl-wagon. My friends played it, with great success, bone grinding and all! Epic 40K was also one of those games that I didn’t get my teeth into. With the launching of Mordheim me and a friend had great plans for the new game (all these plans!). Early on I planned out and started to build a small but ferocious Skaven warband. But the plans grinded to a halt. None of the warbands got any further than undercoating. And since then the boxed set of Mordheim have been collecting dust in one of my cabinets. Most of the parts have by this date been scavanged for other projects, such as the Hrud for the Ordo Xenos-project.

In the beginning there was the Rogue Trader!I started out with the miniature-hobby, with a handful of old (!) fantasy-miniatures. If I remember correct my first miniature I ever painted was a small troll, armed with a short spear and a small round shield. I painted, and repainted that little mini until you couldn’t see the details anymore. Next up were some dwarfs armed with battleaxes, then came a whole load of other, classical Prince-August-models. I also have an old resin-cast of a throne room (that really need some cleaning up, if I’m ever to paint it properly ever again!). But it took me a while before I got into 40K. It all started with the Rogue Trader (RT) rulebook. I bought it at a local hobby shop, but it would take a couple of years before I really got into building my first army. The first thing I ever did build and paint for 40K was a tactical squad of Space Marines, followed by a group of Space Orks. So, the first games of 40K I played weren’t any grand battles, so to speak. The first convention I ever went to also included my first ever real 40K experience. And it’s a memorable on. I was outgunned: my tactical marines were deployed at one end of the table and my infiltrating scouts had walked straight into an ambush in the middle of the board. Three Imperial Sentinels with assaultcannons against three of my Scouts. And out of the blue I spanked two of the Sentinels, by scoring a killing hit to one of the drivers and blowing up the ammo-storage on the second one. The third Sentinel gunned down two of the Scouts leaving the last one running for the woods. I didn’t win that game but it was fun! I was the underdog that everyone around the table was cheering for! The best feeling ever!

But from the early years until today, a lot of years have passed. The following years were mostly filled with RPGs, Vampire: The Masquerade, Mage: The Ascension, and not to forget, a lot of Dungeons & Dragons! I also had a rather short lived infatuation with some WW2 Micro (like playing tank battle scenarios from the Kursk offensive, but I quickly closed down that idea, I needed to many tanks to make it work, and I could never find a good set of rules to use). But I resurrected my love for 40K, when a friend of mine started to collect a Black Templar army. So I scavenged thru my cabinets and found sufficient with pieces to build 500 pts of Death Guards. But 500 pts only get you so far. So I started to add a unit here and another and so on. Ok, right now I can’t say that I have reached the “Apocalyptic level” of points for my army, but sooner or later I’ll get there!

Friday, April 11, 2008

Fantasy Flight Games has finally gotten a grip on “Dark Heresy” and launched it onto their website. As usual you have the introduction of the game, forum, downloads (game aids, maps, character sheets etc.) you also have the production lineup. And I have to say that it’s looking promising. One book in particular feels like a “must-buy”, when it’s released. The Inquisitorial Handbook!To cite the original text:” Ready your bolter and fulfil your destiny!” (Ok after reading the core rulebook and the Scourge the Heretic-novel, I would say “Ready your BOLTERS…” at the least).“The Inquisitor's Handbook is the essential tome for creating richly developed, properly equipped, and thoroughly indoctrinated Acolytes to serve the God-Emperor. It covers everything needed to create a unique character in the 41st Millennium and is suitable for both players and Game Masters.”“Explore advanced character generation, alternative ranks, and career paths including Black Priests of Maccabeus, Metallican Gunslingers (more Bolter shells in the air,please!), and Adepta Sororitas.”“Equip yourself with a host of weapons and gear from across the forges, hives, and warzones of the Calixis Sector (this part I like, and I think it’s the most appealing part for my players). ““Develop rich character backgrounds with in-depth commentary on the Calixis Sector, ranging from religion and superstition to unique tools and resources of the Holy Ordos.”“Discover hints and tips on establishing alter egos, gaining new contacts and informants, and other detailed advice for agents of the Golden Throne. “Well, this will be sweet, let’s check the price tag: $44.95, *sigh* another week of rice and frozen vegetables. But I think that it will be worth it!

– that is the big question.My biggest problem when it comes to building stuff is my short span of attention. The other day I was reading the Imperial Armor update for Apocalypse, from ForgeWorld. And I spent some time afterwards trying to calculate the size and measurements of the Chaos HellBlade and HellTalon aircrafts. But I stopped after a while, after realizing that my measurements couldn’t be right. The HellBlade became a lot bigger than I expected it to be. So after putting it aside I tried to shake the urge of building something big. Well, the BaneBlade is a nice kit, but I would punch an even bigger hole in my economy if I ever bought one. So what to do? Why this urge to build big? I blame it all on the Apocalypse expansion (!). After looking over my ongoing projects I think that finishing what you start is the way to go. So I made a list. With all the projects that I have going on right now. And the next step will be to finish them one by one, before I start on a new one.

Finishing my DeathGuards is my top priority. But it’s not “fun”. It’s just green, brown, and some more slippery, slimy paint to slap on. Not to speak about the Nurgle DaemonPrince that is sitting on the shelf, unpainted. Maybe it’s been sitting there for so long because I don’t like painting big models. A lesson learned from painting a Rat Ogre, for my Mordheim Skaven Warband some years ago (The same RatOgre that I trying to convert into a big Chaos Spawn). After the Rat Ogre it took me some years before I tried bigger models again. This time it was the Chaos Rhino that I sunk my teeth into. And it wasn’t as problematic as the Rat Ogre, for several reasons. The first one is that a Rhino consist mostly of flat surfaces, not so many big and intricate details. In contrast to this, The Daemon Prince is the completely opposite model to paint. Big and full of details. Well, maybe I’m just lazy. But there are more interesting models to finish before I get to the Daemon Prince. But the new rules for the Daemon Prince, in the latest addition of the Codex: Chaos Space Marines, makes it a highly powerful addition to the army. If I’m ever going to finish the Death Guard additions that I already have started then I have to finish the Chosen squad and the Terminator Squad. And because my mind is still set on something bigger I’m contemplating adding one or more tanks to the army. And once again these thoughts are those that in the end will put great dents in my economy. But on the other side, the tax returns are soon to arrive, so maybe there will be some tanks for the army after all…But the latest idea I got into my head was to build a small Lost & Damned army (just 500pts) but this idea is constantly being overrun by the thoughts that maybe I should wait until the new Codex: Daemons arrive (the new plastic Daemonette-kits are sweet!). And in the meantime I should really try and finish all the other projects I’ve started!I tend to put everything I build and paint into “projects”. The only problem is that a “project” is something that run for a particular length of time and then is finished and closed. So in the essence of “the project”, I have promised myself to finish one “project” before I start another one. So in accordance with this post I have made, and posted my list of “projects” on this page. Now the next step is to follow the list!

Finally a new online game set within a Sci-fi story!After playing at the whole Easter weekend (and a bit more) my opinion on the game is that it’s just great! And it has a lot of potential for the future. Right now there are lots of rumors out there about new updates and expansions, I won’t discuss them here, because it might just be talk without substance. And all would be nice and fuzzy if it hadn’t been for a lot of strange comments in the general chat, from players that was constantly cracking down on every little detail. The comments all have one thing in common: they come from people that play a lot of World of Warcraft. But the funniest comment I snatched during the Easter weekend must have been the following: “can you roleplay in a sci-fi game?”, followed be the discussion “how do you roleplay in a sci-fi game?” *sigh!* Well, you do like you always do! You play your character. Just like you do in your favorite game WOW. Just because it’s a Sci-Fi game doesn’t exclude the possibility of playing your character. It’s strange that people believe that you can only roleplay your character in a fantasy-setting. After all the badmouthing I can’t stop to wonder: Why do people pay to play a game they don’t like? And at the same time criticize the games’ story and mechanics… I will never understand that, I’m only glad that there are other games out there than WOW. The only drawback with WOW, that it has so many players out there, is that people tend to use the game as a benchmark. But maybe it’s not so strange that it has come down to that. With so many people playing WOW, it’s unavoidable that players start judging other games by the same standards they are used to. Myself, I don’t play WOW, have never tried it, have no interest in it and I will never install it onto my computer! There’s just too little Sci-Fi in WOW to accommodate my needs!

Monday, April 7, 2008

Got my hands on the new Dawn of War: Soul Storm the other day. And once again I'm on the brink of getting a stressed out heart attack by playing these real-time strategic games. But on the bright side the level of detail is as usual stunning. I started of by playing the Imperial Guard in campaign-mode just to realise that the new Sisters of Battle is a hard foe to beat! So after giving them a fair chance and some hours of gametime the great Imperial Guard grinded to a halt. But instead of throwing the game in the trash I went back to the basics and picked up the Blood Ravens storyline. As I said before the RTS-based games are a bit too stressfull for my taste and to complicate matters the different upgrades and abilities of the individual units can make the game a bit confusing to say the least. So often, in the heat of the battle, you just use the massed Bolter-fire, the marines standardattacks, to scythe down your enemies! Right now I have just exterminated the Orks from the first planet so there is still a long way to go, and a lot of concentrated hours of gameplay left! Next step: Exterminate The Tau!